As legislators grapple with reforming public education in this state, they should carefully weigh standardized testing options.

Testing has increasingly become a litmus test to gauge students' and teachers' success or failure, and their results are gaining importance in various ways, including funding.

But there are important fundamental problems with testing systems in place across the country.

The term "standardized" has little to do with many tests. Many states have developed their own tests, which may result in higher scores but certainly don't readily allow anyone to accurately compare progress against students in other states who are taking different tests. To truly show educational accomplishment, all students need to take the same tests.

Another issue is the tendency for curriculums to focus on subject matter that students will see on tests. Unfortunately, this practice - "teaching to the test" - is becoming more prevalent. The result may well be higher scores but lower levels of actual learning. Gearing education toward a test is falling short of the whole purpose of education - giving students the tools to learn and starting those students on a path toward learning.

Standardized testing is not without merit. Done properly, it can highlight strengths and weaknesses in educational components, allowing educators to better serve their students. But the system that exists now, in Arkansas and across the country, needs tweaking.

Legislators should truly standardize the system, ensuring that the tests given are the same tests as given elsewhere. Doing so would provide a better picture of how the state's education plan compares to others.

And our officials should also liberate educators from the shackles of teaching to the tests. While testing is important, it's not the be-all, end-all. Curriculums should focus less on test results and more on implanting knowledge of a variety of subject areas and learning tools.

Lawmakers have a full plate of education reform, and many interests will be vying for their attention. Testing is one aspect of the overall system that they could improve with a few changes.